Diagnostic value of cytology in urinary system malignancies

OBJECTIVES:The contribution of cytological methods to the diagnosis and follow-up of urinary system malignancies was investigated in this study, along with histological diagnosis and clinical follow-up results of the cases. METHODS: One hundred forty-four cases who underwent cystoscopy in ZKüTF Urology Department between 2003 and 2007 were included in this study, and urinary cytology and biopsy samples were assessed in the Pathology Department. RESULTS: When cytological and histological diagnoses were compared, results in 17 positive cases and in 109 negative cases were consistent. Three cases were false-positive and 15 cases were false-negative. In our series, sensitivity of urinary cytological diagnostic methods was 53% and specificity was 97%. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that urinary cytology has a high diagnostic value in the evaluation of urinary system diseases. However, decrease in the sensitivity of this method in low-grade urothelial tumors should be taken into account.